En-route to losing the 20 kilos she had gained for her next film, Kangana on withdrawal symptoms, and missing her heels
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; April 29, 2020)

We don’t expect the usual Kangana Ranaut candour in an interview largely about how many squats she packs into her regimen. But the actor isn’t one to offer the ordinary.

Unbowed by the heft of her battle against the bulge, Ranaut is playfully self-deprecating when chronicling her 20-kilo weight-loss attempt.

“I didn’t expect to gain 20 kilos,” she says of her endeavour to emulate J Jayalalithaa in the actor- politician’s upcoming biopic, Thalaivi.

“When Kareena [Kapoor Khan] was pregnant, she gained 16 kilos. I told myself, I am like [a] post-pregnant Kareena Kapoor!” she exclaims at one point, before breaking into a laugh. “I never remember feeling so unfit. At one point, I needed to support myself with my palms to stand up off the floor,” she says at another, before the ever-so-slight quiver in her voice reveals the moments that triggered her badly.

“I was unable to carry my weight in heels, and that almost left me in tears. One thinks they’ll eventually adjust, but, I couldn’t walk in my own shoes! Usually, I can run in them, but now my feet would swell. I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Train, but gain
The diligence with which she had kept tabs on the weighing scale as it climbed by 10, 12 and 15 kilos was rendered redundant after a few weeks of lull. “[The makers] told me to start losing weight so that we could shoot [Jayalalitha’s] younger portions, and that’s when I noticed that I had gained 20 kilos. I wondered if I had gone too far, and questioned if the decision to take the hormone injections was appropriate.”

It was towards the close of 2019 that Ranaut had first admitted to leaning on hormone supplements to add bulk to her hips and thighs, to emulate her muse. Unlike the misshapen built acquired by Bollywood’s top brass of actors gaining weight for cinema, Ranaut’s avatar, though voluptuous, had to resemble the shapely and nimble-footed bharatnatyam dancer that Jayalalitha was. “I had to do bharatnatyam for two hours, yoga for one, and still gain weight in a desirable manner. The mild hormone dosage helped [me] gain weight around the hips. Bharatnatyam involves a lot of leg work, so the dancers tend to [gain weight in this region]. Also, I needed to put on so much weight because I am tall. At 5’ 8", I had to ensure that the [bulk] was visible on my frame.”

Winning the race, slowly, steadily
Currently nestled in picturesque Manali, Ranaut decided to make the most of the lockdown by taking along her trainer of several years. Under the guidance of Siddhartha Singh, founder of iSweat, she has shaved off seven kilos, and continues to crawl, jump and jog off the rest. “We are focusing on workouts that encourage movement for a long duration of time, instead of those involving shorter intervals. The idea is to keep movements sustainable by not rendering her breathless, so that more calories can be burnt. The evening functional training sessions last 45 to 75 minutes, and are coupled with a 20-minute morning walk in her 100-metre driveway,” says Singh, attributing her body’s positive response to the regimen to her consistent yoga practice.

Her high metabolic rate may afford her many luxuries, but Ranaut won’t abuse what she has been blessed with. For as long as Singh can recall, she isn’t swayed by food that has little nutritional value, and prefers “home-cooked meals”. “Kangana is attuned to her body’s [nutritional] needs. If she craves something, she’ll have it in limited portion, or cook a [healthier] version of it at home.”

That her body had become complacent with the additional weight also began to work against her, making the weight-loss process more demanding than both she and Singh had anticipated. “It was difficult. I had to undergo detox. I was affected by the sugar withdrawal, and felt like I was in rehab. For over six months, I was perpetually hungry, and had mood [swings]. The weight wouldn’t budge. Also, at 33, things are not as easy [as they were when I was younger].”

Asked if she will do it all over again if a film demands it, her response is prompt, but not very assertive: “No, yaar!” she says. “It’s not worth it. My cholesterol level was quite high this time. In my 30s, I don’t enjoy doing this.”

Singh on principles he uses to train Ranaut
- We’re targeting the anterior and posterior muscles at once. We use the driveway to do short jogging sets, shuttle lunges, back crawls, and jumping jacks.

- Usually, I avoided exhausting her because actors have to work for the rest of the day, and can’t be dealing with aches and pains. I had to be mindful of not targeting the muscles that she would be using for her action films, like Manikarnika.

For instance, horse-riding employs a lot of leg work, and hence, when she was learning it, I’d only do weight-less leg workouts with her. Similarly, when she was training in sword- fighting, and using her upper-body muscles, I’d have to shift focus away from her shoulders and arms [in the gym].

- With physical activity currently limited, she is consuming only two to three meals a day. The morning jogs that she takes help in activating her metabolism.

Discussing clients Sonakshi Sinha and Kangana Ranaut, pilates trainer Namrata Purohit on achieving big results by targeting smaller muscles across different body types
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; May 15, 2019)

Considering the array of celebrity trainers that comprise the Indian fitness market, the number of A-league actors that pilates trainer Namrata Purohit has whipped into shape, is noteworthy. Inarguably, a case study that could win her accolades is Sonakshi Sinha, who, since her entry into Bollywood, has been at odds with the weighing scale. Sinha, with her washboard abs, currently looks fitter than ever, and Purohit attributes it to their understanding of learning to deal with "her body type".

"Initially, she would train the bigger muscles of her body, which, given her body type, made her look bulky. When we started doing pilates, we addressed the deeper and smaller muscles, which helped her achieve a slimmer, toned and leaner look," says Purohit as she connects with mid-day as part of her association with AXN's upcoming show.

Individuals like Sinha, who are not blessed with the best metabolic rate, benefit from an added cardiovascular component. "When catering to them in a pilates class, we also up the intensity to achieve a higher heart-rate so that there can be fat burning. In Sonakshi's case, she includes a cardio component, using the treadmill or stepper, thrice a week."

Broach the topic of dealing with individuals who must strive to look fuller than they are genetically predisposed to, and Purohit instantly highlights the importance of a healthy diet. "The focus in their case is to eat good fats, instead of saturated fats. The latter can harm the hair and skin." Pointing out to clients like Janhvi Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut, she says such individuals must also up the amount of carbohydrates they consume.

"With Kangana, it's not just about the food, but also the amount of strength training she must practice to up her muscle mass. She may be skinny, but needs to tone her body. Janhvi is skinny. She started training with me in December. She had to first gain a lot of weight for an upcoming film, and then lose it. In such cases, when we had a time-line [to achieve the transformation], we had to ensure she gained weight in a manner that could facilitate a seamless weight loss later. Also, she needed to look healthy, not fat."

The cardiovascular component is limited when catering to those with a high metabolic rate.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 20, 2018)

Given that she wowed the audience with her impeccable act as a hockey player in Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), Kangana Ranaut seamlessly drew attention when news about her playing an athlete again, hit headlines. For Panga, Ranaut is set to up the bar to not only learn the tricks of kabaddi, but also physically transform herself to do justice to the part. The petite actor, we hear, will gain 10 kilos for Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's directorial offering.

A source close to Ranaut tells mid-day, "Kangana will start training in kabaddi as soon as she is back from her vacation in New York. Though she is familiar with the sport, she requires training to showcase it like a professional. But, before she starts doing so, she will gain weight. She is on a high-calorie protein diet, and, over the next month, intends to pack on six kilos." The source adds that as the film progresses, the actor will be expected to gain another four kilos for the part.

Packing on the pounds is going to be no mean feat for the actor, given that she is genetically small-framed. "Kangana may need to incorporate weight training exercises instead." A generous serving of nut shakes, fruits and tofu is expected to be on her dietary chart.